WEEKLY MESSAGE FROM MHA

Success, By the Numbers

January 20, 2020 By: Bob Atlas, President & CEO

Maryland hospitals have delivered wins under the All-Payer Model (2014-18) and the new Total Cost of Care Model contract with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). In addition to managing spending, we’ve grown savings while decreasing cumulative and year-to-date spending growth for Medicare beneficiaries.

As you know, explaining the Maryland Model—both its features and our performance—is hard to do succinctly. Some of you have suggested what we should highlight and how to better explain the work behind the numbers. In response, we’ve refreshed the Maryland Model Dashboard.
 
The Dashboard and supplemental presentation offer a quick and easy way to illustrate where we’re improving and identify where we still need some work. Watch also for quarterly updates to help you keep your teams focused on model performance and share our results with your governing boards and other stakeholders.
 
I’d also like to share a set of slides describing Maryland Model basics that may be useful as you explain the model to other audiences.
 
Risks and challenges still lie ahead. We’ll work to influence the “statewide integrated health improvement strategy” called for under the MOU just signed by the state and CMMI. We’ll also have to watch the Maryland Primary Care Program (MDPCP) spending; 2019 model results include an estimated $60 million in payments debited just like health care costs. And MDPCP spending by Medicare is forecast to rise, potentially shrinking the savings cushion. We must help ensure MDPCP produces a return on the investment.
 
We’ll continue to monitor performance and risks and to keep you informed along the way.